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He circles the stage in an emotional rage, shouting to an unknown listener. His father’s apparition reveals a murderous secret that he must act upon. The question he must ask himself is this:
“To be or not to be, that is the question,” asks Scott Ferrara, who plays the title role in “Hamlet” at The Space Theatre in the Denver Center for the Performing Arts. The play opened last Thursday and runs through March 9.
Ferrara is truly the star of the play. His energy and passion emerge from his spoken soliloquies as he sinks into despair over his mother’s second marriage.
He stays true to the Shakespearean dialect, but adds his own modern-day touches that make the sometimes hard-to-follow language much easier to digest.
The other actors support Ferrara with gusto and refined talent. Polonius (Randy Moore) supplements Hamlet with his long-winded speeches, which poke fun at his impatience for brevity. Claudius, played by John Hutton, asserts royal power with a hint of guilt.
Although the male characters take precedence in this Shakespearean tragedy, a few female roles make their way through the testosterone.
Ophelia (Morgan Hallett), though acting more as background scenery in Act I, rushes forth in Act II as the sorrow-stricken daughter of the slain Polonius. She wanders the stage barefoot, unconcerned by her disheveled appearance. This scene, along with Queen Gertrude’s bedroom plea to her son Hamlet, prove the women worthy of the stage.
The stage itself is prepared simply, with small throne chairs and a table in the main room of the castle. The area leaves much room to the actors, giving them all sides to perform from in the intimate circular setting.
One look at the title of the play and one might sigh with memories of high school English class. Yet the Denver Center Theatre Company incorporates brilliant, believable acting into a well-written classic, one that has been “freshened up” with current colloquialisms and jiving gestures.
A trip to the theater may have to be in your cultural calendar this month.
